Handy International joins Mexican grouper FIP effort

Handy is joining forces with the Sea Delight Ocean Fund and other seafood companies to build the FIP using a rights-based management system . The goal, according to the press release, is to improve the performance of the management system for its groupers' and snappers' fishery, centered around the Campeche Bank in the Gulf of Mexico.

The nonprofit Sea Delight Ocean Fund initiated the effort after receiving grants in 2014 from Resources Legacy Fund and Sea Pact. The effort is the first grouper FIP in the region, according to CeDePesca, a nonprofit assisting with efforts to develop 10 FIPs involving 7 Latin American countries.

"We are thrilled to join efforts with Handy International towards the improvement of the Mexican Groupers and Snappers Fishery," said Adriana Sanchez, President of the Sea Delight Ocean Fund. "I believe their participation is a prime example of how industry can cooperate in a pre-competitive arena towards the improvement of a fishery that benefits us all. We look forward to working with Handy International and learning from their experience as a founding member of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) Crab Council. I hope other industry leaders see this partnership as an opportunity for them to also participate and become active stakeholders in this FIP."

Brendan Sweeney, vice president of operations at Handy International said more industry participation was vital for the future success of this and all FIPs.

"Through our work with the NFI Crab Council, we've come to realize the importance of full industry participation in Fisheries Improvement Projects,” said Brendan Sweeney, vice president of operations at Handy International. “The Sea Delight Ocean Fund and CeDePesca are off to a strong start with the work plans already in place, however, to have a successful FIP, we will need to bring more industry participants on board. Handy is excited to help bring the effort in that direction, and we hope to see more industry participants join the FIP as we move forward.”